How to Measure Your Shoe Size Once and for All

The solution? Never wear a pair of shoes you haven't confirmed properly fit. In theory, this means shopping online for shoes is a risk, and if they don't fit when you receive them, you should return them. But more importantly, getting a really solid measurement of your feet to determine the size you should be wearing is a must. Back in the day, most people had their feet professionally measured on a regular basis. Nowadays, that's a rarity. But there's good news: You can do it yourself.

Read on for eight easy DIY steps for how to measure your shoe size.

1. Take out a piece of notebook paper. If you don't have lined notebook paper, a normal piece of paper will do.

2. Place your naked foot—or your socked foot, depending on how you most often wear shoes—onto the piece of paper. We recommend sitting in a chair or crouching, not standing. Also make sure you are on a truly flat surface, like a part of your house with hardwood floors.

3. Trace your foot. We recommend using a pen or pencil for this part so you don't leave any serious markings on your foot and/or sock. When you're done, it should look like your foot tracing is inside a rectangle.

4. Outline your tracing with straight lines. Using a ruler, draw a perfectly straight line on each edge of your foot: the toes, each side, and the heel.

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